Blackboard Wins Lawsuit Over E-Learning Patent

from the not-how-the-system-was-supposed-to-work dept

Blackboard is a distance learning company that claims to hold patents on the concept of distance learning. It wasted little time in suing competitors even as a close examination of the patent showed that it wasn't just obvious, but there was plenty of prior art on it. A formal challenge to the patent was launched, and the Patent Office agreed to review the patent over a year ago, but has yet to do much on that re-exam. However, while everyone waits for that, the lawsuit went forward, and a jury has decided that the patent is valid and the company Desire2Learn owes Blackboard $3 million (found via Troll Tracker). There will be an appeal of course, and maybe one of these days someone at the Patent Office will realize that it issued a patent on something rather obvious with a ton of prior art.

ITT

ITT Technical Institute does this sort of thing (distance learning) and they don't do it via Blackboard. They're a for profit trade school so if they had a choice between patent royalties and not doing it, they'd probably not do it.

So go Blackboard! Way to promote education: sue others into the ground to prevent them from doing it online.

PS, in 2002 I took one of my classes online during the summer at Clark Community College so I wouldn't have to take it in High School. But that's probably not prior art to their patent, or grounds for it being obvious. I mean it's only what just about every school in the Northwest offers due to weather and distance conditions.

Re: ITT

I'm not sure how the patent laws work in that regard, but I would think that if a college created their own distance-learning web applications, and were not trying to license it out to others...then it'd be ok.

I mean, if I was to build my own iPhone (I know, I'm reaching here) and infringe the patents of Apple, I can't imagine them even remotely caring that I made my own...as long as it was for my own use and not to be licensed or sold (especially as an "iPhone" - which I guess is a trademark issue).

Pre-Web Concept

Distance Learning is a patent concept?! give us a break..this concept exists even in the pre-web age through open universities.
Blackboard is just trying to fight back a disparate case after seeing how free and open sources e-Learning software and other decent commercial companies has developed great systems and are away ahead of blackboard!

Sounds like working in the patent office is a pretty easy job...not compelled to do anything you don't feel like, and there's no deadlines, and no requirement to have your decisions make any sense. I guess I'm just jealous I don't have a comfy civil service job with that kind of description? Or is it that I feel sad about the state the U.S. is slipping into? Or is it both?

In the light of the changes in the way that patent information is delivered, the way that learning about patent information and related topics occurs is also changing. recently developed electronic and distance learning materials on patent information products and related topics to complement the existing classroom training program are being introduced. A user survey on their training needs confirmed that these developments are in-line with the users’ interests.
I am associated with an organization which deals with the distance learning and promotes online education. If this idea is more furnished and is able to be customized according to the needs, I believe it will greatly help in the field of distance learning or online education.